David Obey: “I would like to at this point engage the chairman of the committee in a colloquy on the Low Income Energy Assistance…”

“I would like to at this point engage the chairman of the committee in a colloquy on the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, which I hope will address the concerns many Members have regarding the lack of an advanced appropriation for fiscal year 2000 in this bill. We are all aware of the drastic spike in price fuels that has occurred in the past year. Home heating fuels have doubled in the past year in many regions. In some areas it has increased fivefold. For many seniors and families who are struggling, that spike in energy costs have dealt a crushing blow to their family budgets just to provide the basic essentials of heating their homes. The LIHEAP program helps over 4 million low-income households by paying on average about half their home heating bills. But due to a lack of funds, this program has been serving only about 15 percent of federally income-eligible households. The recent jump in fuel costs will mean the relative value of that assistance will be cut in half this winter. Earlier this year, Congress provided an extra $600 million in the LIHEAP emergency fund that was required by the President in the 2000 supplemental appropriation bill. About $450 million of those extra dollars were released by September for this winter, and I hope that the administration will release the balance soon.”